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BRIEF: Following Irma, President Trump declares Chatham County a disaster area

Island Packet (Hilton Head, SC)

Sept. 16--Chatham County is one of three Georgia counties to be named in a major disaster declaration by President Donald Trump following Hurricane Irma, according to WJCL.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced in a press release that Chatham County, in addition to Camden and Glynn counties in Georgia, are covered by the president's order, reports WJCL.

This will allow Chatham County to access federal disaster assistance in addition to state and local assistance following the impact of Hurricane Irma. The declaration is retroactive to Sept. 7 and is ongoing for the time being, according to the FEMA release and WJCL.

The president's order makes federal funding available to affected individuals in the listed counties. That assistance can take the form of grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and additional programs to help people and businesses recover from the storm, WJCL reports.